Samuel g



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

y s. G. CABBLL. GALVANIC FEED WATER PURIEIEB..

No. 552,414. vPa.1;e1 1ted.De0.3l, 1895".

"Il Il (No Model.) -2 sheets-sheen 2.

S. G. CABELL. GALVANIG EEEE WATER EUEIEIEE.

No. 552,414. Patented Dem-31,1895.

WH Ifrm l HI! ilNiTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL G. OABELL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

GALVANIC FEED-WATER PU RIFIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,414, dated December 31, 1895.

Application filed Octoberl, 1895. Serial No. 565,859. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL G. CABELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Galvanic Feed-Tater Purifiers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in feed-water purifiers of that class wherein the water in its passage to a boiler is subjected to galvanic or electrical influences.

One object of the invention is to increase the energy of purifiers without increasing the size of the same.

Another object of the invention is to so conneet the purifier with the pump and boiler that the water may be caused to flow directly from the pump to the boiler without passing` through the purifier whenever desired.

To these ends the invention consists in certain peculiarities in the construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section on line Z Z of Fig. 2 through a purifying gland or vessel, showing the arrangement of instrumentalities to make a purifier according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line :c a: of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a view showing the connection between the purifier and the boiler in connection with which it is used, the boiler being shown in cross-section and the purifier and connectingpipes in elevation.

A designates a gland or vessel, preferably cast of suitable metal. This vessel may be made entirely of copper, or it may be made of other and cheaper metals; but I prefer to so construct it that it will form one of the battery elements. It is preferably divided into two substantially equal compartments by a vertical partition or diaphragm 1 extending from the bottom nearly to the top of the water-gland A. This partition, like the body or shell, is preferably made of copper, but may be made of other metal or metals without departing from the spirit of the invention.

2 and 3 are inlet and outlet ports, respectively, some distance above the bottom and preferably in the same, or substantially the same, horizontal plane, and 4 4 are petcocks at or near the bottom for drawing or blowing off from time to time sedimentary deposits and impurities precipitated or thrown down.

5 is a fiat ring or annulus fitting closely within the vessel or gland A and supported above the inlet and outlet ports 2 3 by legs 5 resting on the bottom. This ring or annulus.

forms a support for a galvanic pile, leaving thus in the bottom of the gland below the galvanic pile an open space or chamber for the collection of impurities.

Z and C represent respectively the positive and negative elements of a galvanic pile ar ranged within the shell A and sustained above the bottom by the ring or annulus 5, as and for the purpose already explained. These elements are made substantially in the form shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, with toothed or serrated edges, which contact with the shell A and partition 1 and with fingers or projections, preferably rounded at their ends to prevent rapid shortening by decomposition of the metal, as would be the case if the ends were pointed.

Preferablythe elements Z each consists of a flat plate of proper shape, having openings within its body and in its edge, arranged to form the strips z and z' constituting what I term the sides of the element, ngers a4 and z5 extending inward toward each other from the respective sides .e and z and each entering but not closing the space between the sides of the adjacent pairs of fingers extending from the other side of the element, fingers z2 extending outward from the outer edge of side z, and fingers .e3 extending outward from the outer edge of side z'. All of said fingers are preferably beveled on their upper and under surfaces. 'When these elements are arranged within a gland having the transverse partition l, the fingers z2 will project toward the wall of the gland and the fingers z3 will extend toward the diaphragm.

Each of the copper elements C preferably IOO consists of flat plate, made semicircular when the gland is cylindrical, engaging the strips .c and z of the respective zinc elements, and formed with fingers corresponding with those of the latter, or with suitable openings so as to not prevent the flow of water through the spaces between said fingers. It will be seen that such eon'struction of battery elements provides a great number of separated vertical water-passages arranged adjacent to the inner wall of the gland and on opposite sides of the diaphragm l and contiguous thereto, and also a number of vertical water-passages between fingers ,ci and zi", and that, furthermore, the bevelin g of the iin gers forms a number of laterally-extendiiig water-passages contiguous to the iingers, whereby the latter will be entirely immersed in the water. Thus a very powerful battery is formed, possessing maximum efficiency in eliminating scale-producing impurities from the water iiowing through the battery elements and around the lingers thereof in its passage from the inletport to the outlet-port of the gland or casing. For convenience in handling the galvanic pile and removing it from the vessel or gland for cleaning purposes, or for renewal, I bind or tie the elements together by means of copper wire w.

a is a separating-ring of asbestos or other like porous material to divide the zinc and copper elements into pairs. Leading into the top of the vessel above the -galvanic pile are shown steam-pipes G (i extending from a source of steam-supply and arranged so that when the gland is cut off' from the boiler and feedpump it may be blown out through the cocks 4 4, which are to be opened for that purpose.

9 designates the main supply-pipe, extending from the p ump to the boiler and connected at one place within inlet 2 by pipe l2 and at another place with outlet 3 by pipe v13. This pipe 9 is provided with a valve 9, and pipe l2 is provided with a valve 12 lVhen it is desired to cause the water to flow directly from the pump to the boiler, cock 9 is opened and cock l2 closed, and when it is desired to cause the water to flow through the battery from the pump to the boiler the former cock is closed and the latter opened. This facility for quickly cutting the battery out of the water-circuit is an advantage of some importance, especially when the battery is as powerful as the present one.

By dividing the gland into two compartments by the partition l, and making the galvanic elements in the form and arranging them in the matter shown, I obtain fora gland of given dimensions a capacity nearly double that of other devices known to me.

In operation the water from the feed-pump enters through port 2, passing thence upward through and among the fingers of the galvanic elements on that side of the partition l, over the top of the partition and down through and among the iingers of the galvanic elements on the opposite side and out and toward the boiler through outlet-port 3. During the passage of the water through the gland the impurities are subjected to galvanic action and are thereby precipitated and thrown down into the collecting-chamber at the bottom, from which they are drawn or blown oft, from time to time, through the cocks 4f 4.-, as above explained.

In order to enlarge that part of my invention above described, I combine with it a galvanie-battery cell B to increase the energy of the galvanic pile. The cell B is, by preference, made of suitable size and shape to be mounted upon and form an upward continuation of the water-gland A, and is separated from the latter by a horizontal partition preferably of non-conductive material. It may be made wholly of copper or ot' other suitable material.

Vithin the cell B, I suspend one or more elcments, such as zinc Z', by means of an insulated wire 7 which is connected with a positive element of the pile in gland A by a wire 7 f, whereby the energy of the pile is augmented by that of the battery-cell. A cut-oil or switch 8 may be arranged in the circuit bctween the battery-cell l5 and the pile in gland A, whereby the cell and pile may be connected or disconnected at pleasure, as circumstances may require.

It is well known that a great portion of the insoluble impurities contained in the water may be precipitated by heating the water to or above the boiling' point, and therefore, with the view of increasing the efficiency of my purifier, I propose to employ this method of purification in connection with the galvanic operation above described, and for this purpose I employ the connections illustrated in Fig. 3, in which A designates the water-gland, B the superposed battery-cell, 2 the inlet and 3 the outlet ports through which water passes into and out of the gland, as above explained.

P designates the force-pump which located in connection between the gland A and feed-water heater, (not showin) as usual; l), the steam-boiler, in connection with which the purifier is used, and E a pipe connecting the boiler with the inlet at a point in the latter between the gland A and the pump P.

The pipe E enters the boiler at the top and projects down within the same to a point somewhat below the water-level, as seen in Fig. 3. In practica-l operation, feed-water is usually supplied to the boiler at a temperature of from 17()Q t0 180D Fahrenheit, while the temperature of the water in the boiler ranges from i250O to 3750, or even higher, according to the pressure employed, and, therefore, by drawing from the boiler a suflieient volume of water at the higher temperature and passing it into the purifier with the feed-water supplied by the feed-pump the temperature in the purifier may be raised to or above the boiling-point and so maintained while the IOO IIO

water in the boiler is kept up and the circulation of hot water through the pipe E is continued.

It is well known that by reason of the expansion of water by heat the water in a steamboiler is always hotter at the surface than at the bottom, and it is equally well known that if the two ends of the return-pipe be connected with a boiler at different levels a constant circulation willbe maintained, the water carrying the higher degree of heat iiowing out through the upper connection and returning, after giving up or being deprived of a portion of its heat, through the lower connection. rIhus it will be understood that hot water drawn from the boiler will readily circulate through the pipe E, gland A, and inlet 2, re-

turning to the boiler at the lower level.

In starting the apparatus, the circulation through the pipe E will be readily started by the steam-pressure within the boiler, assisted by the siphonic action induced by the pump P.

In order to prevent backilow toward the pump, a check-valve p may be located in connection between said pipe and pump. It will thus be understood that the gland A acts also as a mud-trap to catch and hold the mud or other solid matters carried in suspension, that its sufficiency in this respect is increased by maintaining the water during its passage therethrough at a temperature at or above the boiling-point; also that this operation of trapping mud, and otherinsoluble matters in no wise interferes with its operation as a galvanic separator or purifier', the two functions or operations being independent of, but supplemental to each other.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In a feed water purifier, the combination of a gland having a separate chamber for impurities, a galvanic pile within the gland, a supplementarybattery electrically connected with the pile, means for forcing water thro ugh the gland to the boiler, and a return connection for conveying hot water from the boiler to the gland.

2. In a feed water puriier, the combination of the shell or gland divided into two compartments by a vertical partition, said compartments communicating at the top, a feed pump communicating with one of said compartments near the bottom to deliver thereinto, a connection leading from near the bottom of the other compartment to the boiler to be supplied, a galvanic pile in each of said compartments, and collecting chamberbelow said galvanic pile.

3. In a galvanic or electrical feed water purifier, a gland or vessel embracing the combination of a shell or vessel having a transverse diaphragm extending from the bottom to near the top thereof, and galvanic elements within the vessel, substantially as described.

4. In a galvanicA or electrical feed Water purifier, a gland or vessel embracing the combination of a shell or vessel having a transverse diaphragm extending from the bottom to near the top thereof, and galvanic elements within the vessel, having fingers proj ecting toward said diaphragm and the wall of the cylinder, respectively, substantially as described.

5. As an improved article of manufacture, a galvanic battery element, consisting of a plate, having within its body a series of openings forming a series of fingers projecting inward toward each other from opposite sides of the plate, each of said fingers extending into but not closing the space between a pair extending from the other side of the plate, the outer edge also of the plate being formed with openings, to provide a series of outwardly extending lingers, as described.

6. In a galvanic or electrical feed water purifier, the combination with the galvanic vessel having inlet and outlet ports at its opposite sides near its bottom, the diaphragm therein, dividing the vessel into two compartments communicating at the top, and the voltaic pile in each of said compartments, substantially as described.

7. In a galvanic or electrical feed water purifier, the combination with the galvanic vessel having inlet and outlet port-s at its opposite sides near its bottom, the diaphragm therein, dividing the vessel into two compartments communicating at the top, and the voltaic pile in each of said compartments, said voltaic pile embodying elements each of which is formed with fingers extending from its outer edge toward the diaphragm and wall of the vessel respectively, and with other fingers extending toward each other from the inner edges of its sides.

8. In a galvanic or electrical feed water purifier, the combination with the vessel having inlet and outlet ports, of the electro-positive plates having outwardly projecting fingers and also formed with fingers arranged within their respective bodies, and the electro-negative plates having openings coinciding with those between the ngers in the positive plates, said positive and negative plates alternating substantially as described.

9. In a galvanic or electrical feed water puriiier, the combination with the vessel, having inlet and outlet ports at its opposite sides near its bottom, a transverse diaphragm, arranged between said ports and dividing the vessel into two chambers, and a voltaic pile in each chamber, each of said piles embodying electro-positive plates formed with fingers projecting to the diaphragm and wall of the vessel respectively, from the outer edges of its sides and with other fingers projecting inward toward each other from the inner edges of opposite sides of the plate and into the space between an adjacent pair of ngers, and electro-negative plates, alternating with said positive plates and formed with openings.

10. The combination with the gland and its IOO contained galvanie pile, said gland having in- Conveying hot Water from the boiler to the 1o let and outlet ports, of the force pump, the battery.

boiler, the main pipe extending from the force In testimony whereof I ai'ix my signature pump to the boiler, a valved branch pipe oonin presence of two witnesses.

meeting' the inlet port of the gland with said main pipe, a branch pipe Connecting' the out SAMUEL G. CABELL. let port of the gland with said main pipe, and Vitnesses:

a valve, arranged in said main pipe, between JOHN H. ODONNELL,

Said branch pipes and a return Connection for FLORA B. CABELL. 

